Join MLive/Muskegon Chronicle reporter for series of Muskegon Community Paddles this summer (video)

MUSKEGON, MI – The first MLive and Muskegon Lake Effect Boating Muskegon Community Paddle was such a success last August that three similar informal meet-ups are planned for this summer.

Muskegon Lake Effect Boating’s Roger Zuidema and I will again gather with interested paddlers to explore Muskegon Lake. The free-to-the-public community paddles are scheduled for Saturdays June 29, July 27 and Aug. 17.

The first event will be the last Saturday in June and will take off from the Hartshorn Launch Ramp in downtown Muskegon. Each paddle will have participants gather at 9:30 a.m. with a group launch at 10 a.m. for an hour or two-hour tour of Muskegon Lake by kayak, canoe or any watercraft that can be paddled or rowed.

The subsequent Muskegon Community Paddles will be July 27 from Veterans Memorial Park on the Muskegon River and Aug. 17 as part of Muskegon Boat Time for a Boat Time Poker Paddle from the city of Muskegon’s Harbour Towne Beach. The first paddle drew nearly 60 participants last August from the Harbour Towne Beach as part of Boat Time.

The 2013 Muskegon Community Paddles are being co-sponsored by Muskegon Rotary Club’s One in 21 community health initiative, the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership, the city of Muskegon, Muskegon Lake Effect Boating, MLive and the Muskegon Chronicle.

“Kayaking offers an affordable means to pursue some fun on the water, while getting some exercise,” said Zuidema, who through social media has become a one-man promoter of recreational boating on Muskegon Lake. “Muskegon Lake is beautiful and kayaking allows you to be closer to nature than a lot of other activities. I love seeing sights only accessible by water and spending time with friends.”

The three locations for the Muskegon Community Paddles were selected to give participants three varied views of Muskegon Lake. The paddles are not a race but a recreational tour that will take about an hour but can easily be extended to two hours for those who want more time on the water.

The first event taking off from the Hartshorn Marina Launch Ramp behind Fricano’s Place and adjacent to the city’s marina on West Western Avenue will provide a look at the downtown Muskegon shoreline. The last Saturday of June is a perfect time to explore the areas east and west of Muskegon County Heritage Landing as the new Coast West Music Festival is being set up by volunteers for the July 1-6 event.

The second paddle from Veterans Memorial Park will give participants a chance to explore the Muskegon River, the river flats and the outlet into Muskegon Lake.

The sponsors of the Muskegon Community Paddle are interested in a gathering of kayak and canoe enthusiasts because of the healthy lifestyle the water sport promotes, the environmentally friendly way participants interact with nature and the excitement of being part of recreational boating that is such an important part of Muskegon’s tourism draw.

Environmentally, the first paddle from Hartshorn Launch Ramp will show off several shoreline restoration project sites and look at waterfront development sites from Rotary Park in between Heritage Landing and the Muskegon Family YMCA to the Terrace Point Landing residential development planned for east of the Shoreline Inn and Conference Center.

The West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission hopes to use the community gathering of paddlers to promote the Lake Michigan Water Trail, a four-state initiative of the Great Lakes Commission. Muskegon’s participation in the water trail project will begin with an inventory of paddling assets in the area and project planners will seek volunteer paddlers help in collecting those reports, said Kathy Evans, an environmental planner with WMSRDC.

Those wanting to participate in the 2013 Muskegon Community Paddles simply need to bring a kayak, canoe, standup paddle board or anything that can be paddled along with a life jacket to meet recreational boating regulations.

Those coming to the first event at the Hartshorn Launch Ramp will be asked to park behind Fricano’s Place, a parking area that has been offered by owner Ted Fricano so the group does not occupy all of the city launch ramp parking spaces.

I hope anyone interested in Muskegon Lake and paddling will join us Saturdays June 29, July 27 and Aug. 18.